Trap.



R. JOHNSON.

TRAP.

PrLIoATloN FILED 11017.10, 1013.

1,099,805. Patented June 9,1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD JOHNSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, .ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 A.SUDOR, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

TRAP.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 10, 1913.

Serial No. 800,200.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD JOHNSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county ofRamsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Traps; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in traps and moreparticularly to thatl class adapted to be used in catching rodents andother animals, and one object of the same is to provide a device of thisclass whereby the jaws of the trap may be set in either a horizontal orvertical position.

A further object is to provide a novel trigger mechanism for holding thejaws in a set position, and a still further object is to provide meansfor retaining said jaws in the same plane.

These and other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred toand more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of my trap showingthe same in an open or set position. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectiontaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the trap disposed in a horizontalposition. Fig. 3 is a 4detail sectional view taken on the line 3 3 ofFig. 1. Fig. 4: is an end elevation of my trap with the spring thereofset at right angles and supporting said trap in a vertical position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the stationaryjaw of the trap, 2 the inwardly curved outer end thereof, which latteris notchedas at 3, for a purpose hereinafter to be described. On theother end of the jaw 1 is a laterally projecting arm t and a rearwardlyprojecting stud 5, the latter being disposed in alinement with thejaw 1. On the inner side of the arm 4 at the junction of said arm andjaw 1 is a shoulder 6, the outer portion of which is bifurcated to formthe bearing members 7 and 8. Pivotally mounted at its lower end in thebearings 7 and 8 is a movable arm 13 which is provided at its oppositeend with an inwardly curved prong 14 adapted to enter the notch 3 whensaid jaw has been actuated to a closed posit-ion. In order that the jaw13 may be always maintained in alinement with the jaw 1, I provide theguiding plates 9 and 10 which inclose the jaw 13 and are pivot-allyconnected at one end to opposite sides of the upper end of arm L1, theother ends thereof being secured to opposite sides of the jaw 1.

To force the jaw 13 into contact with'jaw 1, I employ a substantiallyU-shaped spring 15 having the free ends thereof apertured. One end ofsaid spring is pivotally mounted over the shoulder 6 and jaw 1 anddisposed intermediate the arm 1 and the movable jaw 13, while the otherend ispivotally mounted on the afore-mentioned lug 5 and retained inthis position by the pin 12. By pivotally mounting the spring 15 in themanner described, I am enabled thereby to not only utilize the stress ofsaid spring to actuate the jaw 13 to a closed position, but I am enabledto also use it as a support, whereby if oceasion should ever arise inwhich it is desirable that the trap be disposed in a vertical position,I would merely have to rotate the spring 15 to a plane substantially atright angles to that of the jaw 13, thus making a support of said springand holding the trap in the desired position.

To retain the jaw 13 in an open position, as well as to provide meanswhereby the same may be released, I employ a spring 17 which ispivotally mounted at one end on the outer side of a guiding plate 9, andso disposed as to engage the laterally projecting stud 18 on the innerside of aw 13. The free end of the spring 17 is engaged by t-he inturnedend 19 of a trigger 2O which is disposed immediately above the jaw 1 andextends rearwardly to the opening 21, said trigger rod is then rightangularly bent and passed through said opening, after which it is againbent to a position parallel to the portion on the opposite side ofopening 21 and brought forwardly to a position slightly in advance ofshoulder 6 and provided with the inturned end 19 for the purposehereinbefore described. The spring 17, after releasement by the trigger20 is returned to its normal position by the stop 22 formed on the outerside of plate 9.

In setting my trap the aw 13 is swung outwardly which will thereforedepress one end of the spring 15. The spring 17 is then passed over thestud 18 and brought into engagement with the inturned end 19 of thetrigger 20, thus holding the arm 13 in an Patented June 9, 1914.

open or set position, and retaining one end of spring 15 in itsdepressed condition.

When my trapl has been set in the manner described, an animal movingacross the same and actuating the trigger 2()l would disengage the end19 from the lower end of spring 117 thereby releasing the same andpermit- `ting the jaw 13 to be quickly thrown, under the influence ofspring 15, against the body of the animal between the jaws, thus imvprisoning said animal, or if the prong 14 happens to enter its body,killing it instantly. Y

While I have described my invention with more or less minuteness asregards details Vand as being embodied in certain precise 'and said arm,a movable jaw disposed between said guiding means and pivotallyconnected to said stationary jaw adjacent the arm thereon, a triggermechanism to retain said movable jaw in an open position, asubstantially U-shaped jaw actuating spring rotatably mounted on saidstationary jaw, said spring having one end interposed between said armand said movable jaw, and the opposite end thereof rotatably mounted onsaid lug, whereby said spring may be rotated to support said trap in avertical position. y

2. In a trap of the character described, the combination of a stationaryjaw having the outer end thereof inturned and notched, a laterallyprojecting arm on the opposite end of said jaw, guiding plates arrangedin parallel relation and having one of their ends comieeted to said armand the opposite ends connected to said stationary jaw, a movable jawdisposed between said guiding plates, said movable jaw having one endthereof pivotally connected to said stationary jaw adjacent t-he armthereon, the other end having an inwardly projecting prong thereonadapted to enter the notched end of said stationary jaw, a triggermechanism to retain said movable jaw in an open position, asubstantially U shaped jaw actuating spring rotatably mounted on saidstationary jaw, said spring having one end interposed between said armand said movable jaw, and the opposite end thereof rotatably mounted onsaid lug, whereby said spring may be rotated to support said trap in avertical position.

3. In a trap oi the character described, the combination of a stationaryjaw, a laterally projecting arm formed at one end thereof, guidingplates connecting said arm and said jaw, a movable jaw disposed betweensaid plates and pivotally connected to said stationary jaw, a jawretaining spring pivotally connected to one of said plates, means onsaid movable jaw adapted to be engaged by saidspring, a triggerpivotally mounted at the inner end of said stationary jaw, a catchformed on the inner end of said trigger, the latter being' adapted toengage the free end of said spring whereby said jaw may be retained inopen position and a spring rotatably mounted on one end of saidstationary jaw, and adapted to actuate said movable jaw to a closedposition.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

RICHARD JOHNSON.

l/Vitnesses:

ANTHONY SUDAR, IENNETTE M. DAILEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

